Beyond Surround Sound

surround shound

by Chrysa Smith

Down in Fairless Hills, where Lincoln Highway meets its fill of strip centers, sits an inconspicuous-looking storefront with a sign that simply reads Audiolab. It could be almost any A/V store, but it’s not. When you step inside, it reminds me of what Rod Serling said about the show The Twilight Zone: “You’re traveling through another dimension, a dimension not only of sight and sound, but of mind; a journey into a wondrous land whose boundaries are that of imagination.”

Eureka! That’s exactly it for those who appreciate the best in sight and sound equipment. If you love to watch movies, listen to good sound—congratulations. You’ve just hit the mother lode. Because Audiolab is not anything like a big box store. In fact, Director of Operations Justin McMahon says that’s exactly one of the major reasons customers come there. I get it. It’s intimate. It’s hands on. It’s personal. And it happens to be filled with the highest quality components available in today’s burgeoning A/V market.

Being a novice, Justin schooled me in the equipment that he claims can take you to your happy place. We began in one of his favorite A/V rooms that looked like the best-possible home movie theater rooms imaginable: big screen, comfortable chairs, a coolness to the air and lots of green lights flashing about on the components. As he said, it demonstrates ‘what could be’ in your very own home. An iPad, cell phone or wall control leads you through the various functions available on the system. Essentially an automation device, the lights are dimmed and you’re ready to go. It’s so much like being at the movies, but quite frankly, it’s better. It’s better because it’s yours to enjoy as you like it, allowing you to watch virtually anything you want at a level that’s unsurpassed (even in some movie theaters), all in the comfort of your better-than- the-movies theater-style chair. The components are ready, and the demo begins.

Now, as a movie-goer, you’re probably already familiar with Dolby Surround Sound. You hear the train as it it’s pulling up at the station next to you. You feel the bass, hear the sharpness of the sound. But wait just a second. In my demo, it’s quite different. As you visually wander through a forest, birds are soaring through the trees and you look behind you to catch a glimpse of something that fluttered behind your head. A thunderstorm cracks and crashes and you just about feel that rolling ground beneath your feet. Heavy rains pour down from the heavens and you look up to hear that downpour on the roof above your head. At the end of it all, you really wonder whether you’ve experienced what you did, because the ‘reality’ of it is extraordinary. Turns out, you weren’t really surrounded by birds and rain, nor were you in a forest. You’ve just experienced Atmos.

Atmos is Dolby’s latest sound system that not only surrounds you from the front and sides through a collective of speakers, it arcs above and below you, allowing for a genuine experience unlike any other. If you are a movie watcher, Justin says, you want Atmos.

But Atmos isn’t the only thing Audiolab sells. You can find top-of-the-line televisions, stereo components and speakers. Justin likes to consider himself somewhat of a matchmaker. Someone will come in with a budget and listen to a system which they may or may not like. If the sound and/or picture is what they want, a customer is satisfied. But Audiolab also provides education. In fact, Justin educated me on A/V terminology. One common speaker configuration he mentioned was a 5.1; five being the total number of speakers, one being the number of subwoofers (A subwoofer is a loudspeaker that reproduces low, bass and sub-bass frequencies). But add a few speakers and an additional subwoofer, and an Atmos sound processor and you have just turned the system into a 7.2.4; seven speakers, two subwoofers and four Atmos effect speakers. Pretty impressive recipe for finding the level of viewing and listening pleasure that’s just right for you. Yes, I think Justin is like a fine chef, taking customers through a menu. If you want a good burger, they can do that. If you want an aged prime steak, they can do that too. Or they can introduce you to the wonders of Wagyu or Kobe beef. It’s meshing budget, quality and personal tastes, and that can range virtually all over the place.

Perhaps that’s why there are simple, affordable Bose Wave Radios in the front showroom that have been around forever. And yes, down the hall, there are speakers costing upwards of $30k; headphones up to $4k. There’s a flat screen TV that turns into a beautiful piece of art when not being used and there are finely-crafted pieces of furniture that house it all. The store provides everything you could possible need for setting up an A/V room or outdoor setting, including design and installation.

According to Justin, what might send one into Audiolab is the need for a TV. What they might walk out with could be something all-together different. And it’s precisely because of the growing and changing trends in technology; exposing customers to what could be.

The A/V market is big, and its annual growth is impressive. According to some industry experts, it’s in the billions and has experienced growth close to nine percent this past year alone. It is enormous considering TV’s, headphones, Virtual Reality, Bluetooth and Home Automation. There have also been acquisitions, which have consolidated some of the market. And Audiolab has likewise consolidated their product offerings down to a select group. They’re the companies and products that they believe offer the best quality and the best relationships they can have with customers. And it’s apparently always been that way.

The company was founded by two local gentlemen back in 1958. Located on Oxford-Valley Road, there was certainly no surround sound, sound bars or computer controls. The focus was on stereos and TVs. But the company was known for its personal service; something the present owners have continued through today. And that’s a good thing, because the complexity of projects has grown in scope. Take for example the customer who added a complete sound system to his backyard including satellite speakers. Or the one with a home-theater system with a golf simulator. Some projects are so involved, they have taken up to two years to design and install.

As with all technology, Justin says it’s hard to stay ahead of the trends. Certainly Home Theater Systems will continue to increase as people continue to want good sound and picture quality. Atmos itself is about 3-4 years old. But that doesn’t mean that some of the older technology is lost. In fact, turntables have made a comeback. Justin calls it a vinyl resurgence because for those of us who grew up listening to 45’s and 33 1/3 rpm records, there’s a different sound. And certainly, there is still something nostalgic about that. I ended our visit with a chuckle, kidding Justin about a resurgence with eight track cassettes. His response? A smile, then silence. OK, well maybe we’ll just have to leave that one on the shelf.

Audiolab is located at 492 Lincoln Hwy., Fairless Hills, PA. 215-310-0094. For more information and a complete product brand listing, visit www.audiolabinstall.com.

Chrysa Smith is a freelance writer based in Bucks County, with (according to her husband) their very own 7.2 home theater system.

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